PlantFiles: Golden Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey'

I ordered six of these from Heronswood last year. I have them planted underneath a row of crepe myrtles. The foliage color is really excellent. My yard is fairly protected and several of the bigger plants still have last years deep maroon foliage on them and are definitely alive. They required no special care after the first few weeks when I babied them with plenty of water to make sure they didn't dry out. The two smallest have lost all their leaves and are now merely a small stick poking just above the mulch. I am anxious to see if all of them do well in the spring.

In "Hydrangeas for American Gardens," by Michael A. Dirr (2004), it says: Sport of 'Pee Wee' by Peter Catt with soft yellow leaves. Yellow supposedly holds into summer with leaves turning red in fall. Briggs Nursery, Olympia, WA has produced this selection via tissue culture.

I really can't recommend yet, as I just received it yesterday, but it is stunning.
Especially against a 'regular' Oak Leaf.

Now available in a few more places, but VERY limited.
This one came from Klehm's Song Sparrow.
Perfectly grown and shipped, as is usual for them.

As the season progresses I'll update notes and photos.

This new oakleaf hydrangea cultivar is a golden-leaved sport of the cultivar 'Pee-Wee', so it is also a dwarf. It grows to about 3'-4' and has beautiful golden leaves emerging in the spring that become chartreuse with age, and finally spring green by mid-summer. The leaves turn bright scarlet in the fall, as well. So far, I have only found it available by mail-order through Wayside Gardens. (See the image from their web site). A small, gold-leaved oakleaf hydrangea has so many uses to lighten up a shade garden!